Name: Gingerbread with Dried Fruit
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose unbleached flour (11 1/4 ounces/319 grams), plus more for dusting pan; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon table salt; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, then cooled to room temperature; 3/4 cup mild molasses; 3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces/149 grams); 1 large egg; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup milk; 3/4 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped prunes

Why This Recipe Works

In our old-fashioned gingerbread recipe, we used milk rather than hot water (which many recipes call for) for a richer, moister cake. We sweetened our gingerbread recipe with a combination of light unsulfured molasses and white sugar, and used butter rather than oil, shortening, or lard for flavor.

Before You Begin

For stronger ginger flavor, replace the dried ginger with three tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger and three tablespoons minced crystallized ginger. If you don't own an 11 by 7-inch pan, you can bake the batter in a 9-inch-square pan.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 11 by 7-inch baking pan; dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa in medium bowl.

Beat butter, molasses, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg until incorporated. Gradually add buttermilk and milk until combined.

Add dry ingredients to liquid; beat on medium speed until batter is smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix. (If using fresh ginger, batter will be lumpy). Fold dried fruit into batter, and scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, and edges have pulled away from the pan sides, about 40 minutes. Set pan on wire cake rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature. (Gingerbread can be wrapped in plastic, then foil, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)